Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 34: Jasmine

"Hey," Tristan said, smiling up at me as I entered his room.

"Hey yourself," I smiled back. I suddenly felt a bit silly, just appearing in his room without really thinking what I was going to say to him, or what I was going to do.

"I stopped by your room earlier to check up on you, but you weren't there. Are you coping okay?"

I nodded. I didn't want the evening to be taken up with sadness and second guessing, like the day had been. I was here to escape all that, with some help from Tristan's lips...

"I just had some errands to run. I'm fine."

"So..." he said, putting aside the book he had been reading and getting slowly off of his bed. "Is this purely a social visit then?"

"Well, that's what I was hoping."

He was close now, really close, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest. My skin tingled with anticipation-I felt as though I was about to burst into flames.

"I'm glad you came," he whispered, his lips millimetres from mine.

I closed the gap between us, winding my hands around his neck and drawing him towards me, drinking him in.

This was exactly what I needed: distraction; release; escape.

Then there had to be a knock at the door.

Tristan's lips broke away from mine and I frowned in disappointment.

"Go away," he growled at whoever was on the other side of the door. "I'm busy."

"Terra, you are never too busy for me," Roxy remarked as she pushed the door open anyway. She froze in the doorway when she took in how close we were pressed together, Tris' arms wrapped possessively around my waist. "Oh," she said. "I guess maybe this time you were."

"What the Air?" It was only now that I noticed Brae standing beside her, his face thunderous.

"Seriously. What part of 'go away' do you people not understand?" Tristan sounded pretty mad too. He loosened his grip on me slightly, twisting away so that he could face Brae and Roxy.

Brae glared past him to me. "What's going on, Jasmine?"

"What do you mean? Tristan and I are hanging out, there isn't a rule against that now is there?"

"It doesn't look like all you're doing is talking!" he huffed, gesturing to Tristan's arm on my waist.

I drew closer to Tristan instinctively. "And what does that matter to you? How is it any of your business?"

"Jazz-" Brae sounded like a parent talking to a child who was acting up in public. His tone was full of warning; don't start an argument now.

"No Brae. You can't have it both ways." I was mad now. Who did he think he was? He had moved on, so why couldn't I? It wasn't like I was serious about Tristan; he was just a very attractive distraction. "You made your choice, Brae. Now let me make mine."

"Roxy, can't you talk some sense into her!" Brae looked at her imploringly.

But Tristan rolled his eyes. He took his arms away from my waist and crossed them across his chest. "Oh, so the Helian doesn't deem me suitable either now, does she?"

"Hey! I didn't say anything, Tris!"

"Well you're not exactly backing me up, are you?"

"Come on! We both know you're not perfect, Sephan."